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Restaurant-goers in B.C. are now able to BYOB — bring your own wine, that is — when they dine out, thanks to liquor law changes announced Thursday by the provincial government.

Patrons can have their own bottle of wine opened and served by participating restaurants, who may charge a corkage fee, and take home what they don't finish. Six other Canadian provinces, including Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, already allow BYOW.

"We want to provide our restaurant industry with greater flexibility in terms of the services it can offer to its customers," said Rich Coleman, the minister responsible for liquor, at a press briefing.

"Today's change does just that — it allows customers to pair their favourite wine with their favourite restaurant."

Ian Tostenson, president and CEO of the B.C. Restaurant and Food Service Association said at the briefing the "common-sense" change will result in more business for restaurants and "positive economic impacts such as increased employment and downstream benefits to suppliers of the industry."

But the restaurant industry is split on BYOW, according to Canadian Restaurant and Food Services Atlantic vice-president Luc Erjavec.

Restaurants that are not fans of BYOW may set higher corkage fees — upwards of $25 per bottle, he said — to discourage people from bringing in their own wine. Conversely, Erjavec said, restaurants that favour the practice may use corkage as a marketing tool.

"If it's a slow Tuesday night in February, people will say no corkage fee on bring your own wine to get people into [their] restaurants," said Erjavec, who added the average corkage fee in Canada is $10 to $15 per bottle.

In Ontario, where BYOW was introduced in 2005, corkage fees can range from zero to $60 per bottle.

Eli Gershkovitch, owner of Rogue Kitchen & Wetbar in Gastown, said BYOW will provide more options for restaurant-goers.

"We don't normally stock very expensive types of wine . . . and so if somebody had a very special occasion — a birthday or 25th anniversary — I think that's a proper occasion for somebody to bring their own bottle and to enjoy it, and we would be very happy to ... uncork it for them," he said, adding Rogue's corkage fees would likely range from $20 to $25.

However, Gershkovitch noted the cost-savings patrons associate with BYOW may not actually exist. Rogue charges a flat $20 mark-up for its wine, he said, so a $20 or $25 corkage fee will cost patrons the same amount, or could even make their wine more expensive. But people may save money at some fine dining restaurants if corkage fees are less than their standard markup.

Under the new policy, which is now in effect, licensed establishments are still liable if patrons are over-served or liquor service is provided to minors, and they can confiscate a person's own wine bottle if necessary. Gershkovitch said this could put restaurants in a difficult position.

"Once customers start bringing their own product in, we lose a lot of control over consumption," he said, describing a scenario where a patron might bring in a number of bottles of wine in their bag, get the restaurant to uncork one or two, and then switch out the empties.

"We monitor very carefully people's consumption, and if we feel that they are approaching intoxication we will either ask them to slow down, take a break or cut them off entirely, and that will be much more difficult to do with people bringing their own bottles," he said.

Although BYOW applies to wine only and not hard liquor or beer, Gershkovitch said restaurants may not be able to verify if the product in a person's wine bottle matches what is on the label.

Minister Coleman told The Vancouver Sun wine must be purchased through the B.C. system and labelled appropriately if restaurants-goers want to participate in the BYOW program. Consequently, wine bought in the United States or Alberta, for example, should not be uncorked by restaurants.

knursall@vancouversun.com

Twitter.com/kimnursall

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BYOB in B.C.: Diners now allowed to bring their own wine to certain restaurants

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